Complete newb getting started

[wayne62682]

Hi all, I've decided to give EQ a shot and see what it's like since I'm a bit bored with WoW Classic and Retail WoW is pure trash. Never played EQ before but I've been watching a lot of Youtube videos and reading some of the Newbie guides here to get an idea of what I'm in for.

Should I pick Blue or Green? Most of the things I find online seem to be talking about Blue but Green as I understand it is basically the original game (or as close as can be gotten) while Blue is an expansion or two in and has stayed that way for a few years? Would Green be the better choice then since it's newer?

I've mainly played Warlock, Mage, and DK in WoW so I've been looking at some classes in EQ to get an idea of what I might like to play. The Necromancer seems like the ancestor of the Warlock (DoTs and fears) so that jumped out but being a Necromancer I can't go to some towns and some NPCs might attack me? That might not be such a good idea for a newb. The Mage class in EQ seems like a cross between WoW's Mage and a Hunter since it has damage abilities and a pet that can tank, which is interesting. I also have read good things about the Druid as a starter class but I've read a bit that they aren't too wanted in groups because they can't do anything really well. So I think it comes down to Mage, Necro, or Druid. I'm not sure how much time I'd have to devote to the game, likely only a few hours per week, so I'd want something that I can play solo if I only have limited time and may not be able to find a group. The Ranger as an interesting class popped into my head but I've read that it's really bad and a joke class so I quickly ruled that one out haha.

Any tips would be appreciated. It seems really daunting to come to EQ 20 years late especially compared to later games, but it looks really fun from the videos I've seen.